


Falling Free

by JordanHTR



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst and Romance, Angst with a Happy Ending, Draco Malfoy Angst, Drug Use, F/M, Graphic Description, Redeemed Draco Malfoy, Romance, Slow Burn, Violence, graphic smut, mature - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-17 22:00:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 13,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29478828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JordanHTR/pseuds/JordanHTR
Summary: Lorelei Dubre is the daughter of a wizard who was once thought to be dead. Her uncle is the revered Severus Snape. Lorelei must seek refuge within Hogwarts as her father and muggle mother seek refuge from the Dark Lord. She must keep her families darkest secrets or risk the lives of herself and her loved ones. Will she be able to trust the people she meets along the way or will they ultimately be the cause of her demise? She meets one wizard who will test everything she's ever known to be true about herself and the world around her. But is this risk worth the reward? Can the ends ever truly justify the means?
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 1





	1. Introduction

Hello! Before you begin this story I'd like to give a few disclaimers. This book contains graphic and mature adult themes. Although this story is set in the realm of the HP Universe many plot lines that are in the original HP books have been changed and modified to refit this specific storyline.

Not all of the character descriptions in this story match the descriptions of the characters in the original book series or films. I will be using pictures throughout the story of how I've imagined specific characters and places but if you would like to picture the characters or settings of this story in a different way please do!

I don't have a set update schedule but I'll try my best to update as quickly and consistently as I can.  
Much love in advance. I hope you all enjoy this story!

If you own or know who owns the pictures I have used please let me know so that I may properly give credit. If you would like your image removed, I'd be happy to do that for you.

Below are pictures of how I envision a few of the characters. Feel free to use as reference if you'd like. If not, the story begins on the next chapter. xoxo

Lorelei Dubre

  
  
Draco Malfoy

  
  
Celia Dubre

  
  
Silvio Snape

  
  
Ginny Weasley

  
  
Daphne Greengrass

  
Blaise Zabini

  
  
Pansy Parkinson

  
  
Theodore Nott


	2. Prologue

* * *

Many years ago, two brothers walked the halls of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Their names were Severus and Silvio Snape. Silvio was a few years younger than Severus and looked up to his older brother immensely.

Although Severus may have been a quiet and reserved boy, Silvio was opposite from him in almost every way. He was loud and boisterous and many of his peers looked up to him. Severus may have gotten better grades but Silvio was still near the top of his class. He loved potions class the most just as his brother did.

It was a warm summer day in Paris, Silvio was about to enter his fifth year at Hogwarts. He had come to visit France before the start of the new school year.

Silvio says he remembers this day like it was yesterday and would tell this story often. He was sitting outside a coffee shop with his best friend Adrianus. They were deep in conversation when out of the corner of Silvio's eye he noticed a tall blonde girl in a soft green sundress walk across the opposite side of the street.

He was instantly captivated by her, she turned to face him for a quick second. She had the most beautiful blue eyes, her golden hair fluttered in the wind. She flashed him a gorgeous smile and he said he knew from that instant that she was to be his. He chased after her, out of breath he stopped her and introduced himself. Her name was Celia, Celia Dubre.

He spent the last few weeks of his summer in France visiting with her every day. He was enamored with her and absolutely in love with her in every single way. He promised to write to her often while he was away at school. He showed her things from his world that fascinated her and she fell in love with him for his charm, humor, and kindness.

Silvio never believed in soulmates and believed that the whole idea of them was rather silly. That was until he met his precious Celia. The next year at school, he would write her constantly and be always thinking of her. He spent the whole next summer visiting her in her home country of France and continued to write to her during his sixth year at Hogwarts.

There was just one issue- she was a muggle. He had to keep their relationship a secret as dating a muggle as a wizard was incredibly taboo, especially for a Slytherin. There was a war beginning in the Wizarding world. Lord Voldemort was beginning to build his army and was recruiting many young Slytherin witches and wizards to fight with him.

There were only two weeks before his sixth year would come to an end. Tensions were high but he was focused on studying to complete his exams.

Something happened within the few days before the school year's end that would change Silvio forever. His best friend Adrianus was approached by the Dark Lord to become a death eater but he refused.

Voldemort didn't hesitate to steal the life of Adrianus. Silvio learned that it was only after hours of the Cruciatus curse that the light in his eyes dimmed and his last breath was drawn from him. He died neither quickly nor painlessly. He was shown no mercy. Silvio was crushed, he had never experienced loss in that way.

Not long after, Severus was approached by the Dark Lord. Severus and Silvio both knew what would happen if Severus refused and so a deal was made. With no other option, Severus joined Voldemort's army as a death eater.

Silvio knew that he would soon be next but he couldn't bear the thought of having to leave Celia behind to serve Voldemort. Desperate and out of options, Silvio met with Albus Dumbledore, his headmaster at the time, and pleaded with him to help him find a way to hide from Voldemort. Dumbledore knew the only way would be for Silvio to leave his life as he knew it in the Wizarding world and fake his death.

They devised a plan, a car crash, the week after school had ended. Silvio was to tell no one, not even Severus, but Silvio knew that he couldn't go on letting his dear brother believe he had passed. Silvio let Severus know of his plan and exactly seven days after the school year had ended, the plan went into action.

It had seemed to be a success. The plan worked flawlessly. Silvio left the wizarding world to join his beloved Celia. They got married shortly after, Silvio Snape took Celias last name of Dubre to better conceal his identity. Some time had passed and Celia discovered she was pregnant. A few months later, the most beautiful baby girl was born into the world. They named her Lorelei Dubre.

Silvio had never felt so much love in his heart than on the day he looked at his wife who held his baby girl in her arms. In a world so enveloped by pain, he couldn't believe he had the ability to create something so pure, so perfectly untainted by the world around them. In the midst of darkness, Lorelei was a star for both Silvio and Celia.

Years had passed and they lived a happy life in their small home in the countryside of France. Celia and Silvio taught Lorelei everything at home.

Celia taught her how to read and write and taught her how to add and subtract, multiply and divide. She taught her how to paint and how to care for the plants in the garden. Her father taught her all of the magic he could and from an early age Lorelei showed great skill and wisdom beyond her years. She had a knack for potions just like her father and uncle. He taught her how to be ambitious and resourceful like a true Slytherin. But more importantly, Celia and Silvio taught their daughter the importance of love and kindness and empathy, and courage.

Everything in their life seemed to be so perfect. They kept in contact with Severus as much as they could and he would visit when he had the time. But things had started to change over the past few years. Lorelei had noticed that her uncle's demeanor had begun to change rapidly. He would visit the home at odd hours and leave almost as soon as he had arrived. He began to have more private conversations with her parents and she had begun to notice a change in her parents as well.

She could see that her mother was scared, no matter how brave she tried to look. She could see the circles under her father's eyes darken as time went on.

It was a warm night, August 31st to be exact when Severus apparated into their home. He looked panicked, it was something that Lorelei had never seen before and she was scared. Lorelei, Celia, Silvio, and Severus sat around the kitchen table.

Severus explained that Silvio had been spotted by another death eater a few days ago and that Lord Voldemort was furious. He stated that he would be coming for Silvio in the following days and that he needed to go into hiding immediately. Celia and Silvio shared a worried look before nodding to one another. They understood what had to be done and had known deep down that this day would come eventually.

Just then Albus Dumbledore apparated inside of their home as well. Lorelei had met him a few times, he was the only other wizard that she had met besides her father and her uncle. They discussed their options and decided that Celia and Silvio would go into hiding and Lorelei would go to Hogwarts to stay under the supervision of Severus as Voldemort was still unaware that she had been born. If they could keep her identity concealed, she would be safe.

It was decided that the next morning, Lorelei would board a train that took her to Hogwarts and her parents would go into hiding. Severus had spoken to Lorelei about Hogwarts many times, he would always tell her stories about the students there and the magic that was taught. He knew she enjoyed the stories but he had truly been preparing her for this day because he knew that it would one day come.

After the plan was conceived, Dumbledore left the family with an empathetic nod and a loud crack of an apparition spell. He promised that the family would be reunited again one day and when they reunited they would never have to live in hiding again.

Before Severus left, he gave Lorelei a train ticket and instructions on how to get to the platform and how to find his classroom once she arrived at Hogwarts.

As Severus was saying goodbye, Silvio embraced his brother in a tight hug "I know I'll see you soon Severus. Take care of my daughter, please."


	3. First Step

* * *

Lorelei found herself at the train station toting along all of her new supplies for the school alongside a trunk full of her personal belongings and began her search for platform 9 3/4. She knew she must've looked awfully confused while standing between platforms nine and ten. Severus had instructed her on where to go but failed to mention exactly how to enter onto the platform.

A younger-looking redheaded girl approached her, "Are you looking for platform 9 3/4?" she asked in a quiet voice.

"Oh- Yes," Lorelei stammered looking down at her ticket. The girl gave a soft smile and grabbed her hand.

"Just follow after me," and before Lorelei knew it she was running towards a pillar that divided platforms nine and ten.

She closed her eyes tightly and braced for impact and when she didn't hit the wall her eyes opened wide in surprise. She now found herself standing in front of a dark burgundy train with children and their parents hustling about.

"My name is Ginny Weasley." Lorelei looked over at the girl who helped her onto the platform. Her bright flaming hair fell in large curls around her pale freckled skin. Her smile was genuine and warm.

"Lorelei Dubre-" she replied, "this is my first year at Hogwarts, I just transferred from Beauxbotons- I'm a 6th year." Her words begin to nervously jumble together.

Ginny interrupted her with a kind laugh, "We don't usually get many transfer students here. It's nice to meet you. Would you like to sit with me and my friends?"

Lorelei let out a sigh of relief, "I'd love to. Thank you!"

She followed her onto the train and they sat in the first empty compartment they could find. A tall dark-haired boy entered the compartment shortly after.

"Hello, Neville!" Ginny said excitedly.

He grinned back at her and then looked to Lorelei.  
"Hi! The names Neville Longbottom, and you are?" He said extending his hand to her.

"Lorelei Dubre." She said while reaching for his hand, giving it a gentle shake.

"You must have transferred from Beauxbotons!" He said excitedly.

She nodded her head, although it wasn't true she figured it was safe for him to assume that she had from her slight French accent.

They chatted amongst themselves on their way to Hogwarts. Ginny explained that she was a fifth-year while Neville was in his sixth like Lorelei, they were both in Gryffindor.

They didn't ask her much about her family which she was thankful for and she answered all of their questions making sure to stick to the story Severus had created for her. They were so kind to her. They laughed a lot during the ride.

Maybe this wouldn't be as hard of an adjustment as she thought it would be. She knew she wasn't supposed to bring much attention to herself while she was at Hogwarts but it would be nice to have a few friends to help keep her distracted from the grim situation she was facing.

The ride to Hogwarts seemed to go by so quickly before she knew it the train had come to a stop. She decided it would be best to stay close to Ginny and Neville.

"Hey, guys!" Ginny exclaimed, "Come and meet one of Hogwarts newest students."

The pair Ginny had excitedly called out to turned to face the trio.

"This is Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger." Neville paused for a moment. "Where is Harry? Did he ride with you two?"

Ron and Hermione shot each other a nervous glance, "Oh, yes- he did. He said he had to go back to look for something. He should be joining us in just a few moments." Hermione replied.

Lorelei watched as Ginny eyed the two suspiciously, "Right then. Well, this is Lorelei Dubre, she just transferred. She's in her sixth year as you are."

"It's nice to meet you," Lorelei said extending her hand to the pair.

"Likewise," Ron said as he shook her hand warmly. Hermione offered her a small smile.

Lorelei stuck close behind the group listening to them make small talk about the upcoming school year. Shortly after, they found themselves standing in front of the school doors. Ginny pointed her in the direction of the first years where she had to go to be sorted into her house.

She hoped with all her heart that she'd be sorted into Gryffindor to stay with her newfound acquaintances but she knew the chances of that outcome were slim knowing that both her father and uncle had been placed in Slytherin.

She waited with the group of first years in front of the tables that separated the four different Hogwarts houses.

Moments later the sorting ceremony had begun. Dumbledore had called her name first as she was the oldest and the only one that wasn't in her first year.  
She could feel almost every pair of eyes on her as she stepped forward and sat on a small stool beside the Hogwarts headmaster.

She had never really been too self-conscious but the piercing, questioning stares, and soft whispers had her overthinking her every movement. She studied her fingers clasped tightly in her lap trying desperately not to make eye contact with the overwhelming amount of new faces in the crowd in front of her.

Severus had explained how the sorting process worked but now that she was actually here to experience it her heart began to beat rapidly in her chest.

Lorelei looked back at up Dumbledore and gave him her bravest face as the sorting hat was placed on her head. The world stilled and the whispers were soon drowned out by the sudden rush of blood to her ears. She kept her eyes down, only allowing herself to look up once to find Ginny who gave her a soft smile and nod.

She knew it must have only been a few seconds but she swore it felt like an eternity. The hat exclaimed in a voice so loud it shook her whole head.

"Slytherin!"


	4. Fresh Start

* * *

The disappointment stung her heart. Not to say that she wasn't expecting it but she just couldn't believe that the one house that Severus said would cause her the most trouble was the one in which she now belonged to.

She glanced over at Severus, her breath caught in her lungs. He gave her a stiff nod in response, his lips pressed into a tight line. She stood up slowly, willing her trembling legs not to let her stumble. The once quiet whispers had now grown deafening inside her head.

She gave one last look over to Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Ginny who looked surprised but still managed a small smile. She walked nervously towards her new housemates.

One foot in front of the other, she repeated over and over to herself. 'It couldn't be so bad,' she thought. She knew about the kind of witches and wizards that were in the Slytherin house, she knew about their beliefs. How they valued blood purity above all else, how they felt about the Muggle world.

Her grave had been dug, if even one of her housemates found out the truth about her it would be the nail in her coffin. But Lorelei thought of her father, if a man as loving and caring as her father could be a Slytherin then maybe they weren't all so bad. Maybe, just maybe.

She looked around desperately for an opening within the small wave of sleek green and black school robes. Her fingers twitched nervously at her sides but she tried her very best to keep her head high and her disposition calm. She thought of her mother, always poised, effortlessly graceful. She thought about the times she would march around after her mother as a small girl in their dining room adorning her heels with a cookbook balanced on top of her head. She tried her best to keep that same focus, left foot right foot.

A voice called out to her breaking her quiet concentration, "Oi, I've got a seat for you right here sweetheart."

Lorelei looked up quickly, feeling her cheeks burn brightly, to see a boy with dark hair that curled above his eyes and behind his ears.

He winked at her with his deep brown eyes that flashed as he smiled at her. It wasn't a warm nor inviting smile but it was a smile nonetheless.

He looked her over once causing her to shift from one foot to another uncomfortably before gesturing to the empty spot on the bench next to him.

With nowhere else to sit she took the spot to his right careful to hide her unsteady hands within her robes. She looked up to observe the group sitting around her.

"What was your name again?" a dark-haired girl sitting across from her asked.

"Lorelei Dubre," she answered.

The dark-haired girl then introduced herself as Pansy Parkinson. She was absolutely beautiful. The type of beautiful Lorelei had seen on the cover of her mother's magazines, her features sharp and well defined. Her voice was low but alluring and she had a certain coldness attributed to her presence that Lorelei couldn't quite place.

Pansy then introduced the group sitting around them. The boy who offered her a seat was named Theodore Nott, but everyone just called him Theo. The blonde girl sitting next to Lorelei was named Daphne Greengrass, her beauty was striking as well but her features were much softer than Pansy's.

The boy to Pansys right was named Blaise Zabini, his features were dark and guarded, his mouth pressed into a tight smile as he nodded in Lorelei's directions at the mention of his name.

It wasn't until that moment that Lorelei noticed Pansy's arm was draped around another boy's shoulder, her long slender fingers traced circles around his back.

She couldn't quite make out his face, his platinum blonde hair fell in soft waves around the top of his head as he looked down in his lap scanning over the pages of a book.

Pansy smirked and motioned to the boy, "And this is our Slytherin prince, Draco Malfoy."

At the mention of his name he looked up at Pansy and then over to Lorelei, his eyes were pale yet impossibly dark like a cold sky just before a thunderstorm. His brows furrowed together and his jaw rolled tightly.

He huffed and looked away quickly, his attention placed back on the book in his lap.

There was a small moment of silence before Daphne looked at her questioningly, "I'm not familiar with the family name Dubre. Where are you from exactly?"

Lorelei took a deep breath before beginning her story. She told them how she was born to two magical parents who had recently passed in a house fire. A new potion her father had been perfecting went awfully awry while she had been away at Beauxbotons. She told them how she moved in with her dear beloved aunt who was the one who suggested she transfer.

"For a fresh start." Lorelei finished.

She held her breath waiting for their response, hoping that despite how nervous she felt inside that at least her story would be a little bit believable. After a few moments, she felt Theo put his hand on her shoulder, "Well I'm sorry to hear about your parents. The classes are bloody boring but I think you'll find Hogwarts to be enjoyable. You should consider yourself to be very lucky to have been sorted into Hogwarts greatest house. It's an honor that's not just given out to anybody."

She felt a cold chill run up her spine as his hand grazed slowly down to the small of her back. She went stiff, impulsively jerking away from his touch. She looked up at him, eyes wide unable to speak, he smirked while he unwrapped his arm from around her waist and reached to grab a pastry that sat on the table in front of them.

At this moment she felt anything but lucky.

The other Slytherins around her began grabbing at the food in front of them as well and started to chat amongst themselves. She stared down at her empty plate, unable to eat, as any appetite that she had before was gone from the anxiety she felt at that moment. Although she was surrounded by so many new faces, she had never felt so alone.

Her father's parting words replayed solemnly inside her head, "I'll see you soon Lorelei, stay safe for me and your mother. This could be a good thing. Make the most of your time at school. Maybe once this is all over you'll be able to complete your studies at Hogwarts. But you'll be able to complete them as the real you, no more lies. The real you, Lorelei. Never forget who you are, where you've come from. Your mother and I love you, more than you could possibly ever know."

"The real me," Lorelei repeated softly to herself.

At her home in France, she was proud of her heritage. She was proud to be the daughter of a muggle, her mother was the strongest person she had ever known. But for now, she had to bury it all away deep inside her.

From this moment forward, she was a Slytherin. A pure-blooded witch, with no family. Completely alone.

This is who she had to be, to survive.


	5. Dungeons

* * *

Before she knew it, dinner was over and she was being led by Daphne and Blaise amongst the other students to the Slytherin common room. Lorelei listened to the pair as they talked to each other about the vacations they had taken over the summer break.

Occasionally they would ask her questions about her life before coming to Hogwarts. She knew that they were just innocent questions but it still felt as though they were testing her. She answered shortly, not wanting to go into too much detail.

Some of the things she told them were true. She told them about the home she lived in France and about the beautiful countryside.

They had lost Theo in the crowd but she could still see Pansy and Draco walking ways in front of them. She watched closely as Pansy attempted to put her arm around Draco, in response, he glared down at her coldly and shrugged himself away from reach. She didn't seem too upset by it and just continued trying to make conversation with him.

"Don't take Draco's attitude too personally," Daphne said beside her. Lorelei's face paled as she thought that Daphne had caught her eyes following the two.

She stuttered trying to think of a response when Daphne looked at her and said, "I know he wasn't very kind during the opening ceremony but that's just how he is with everybody. He's a real arsehole."

Blaise laughed and Lorelei nodded in agreement.

Severus had warned her about a boy named Draco Malfoy before she had ever stepped foot in Hogwarts. He had explained that Draco's father was a death eater who had close ties to the Dark Lord. A lot of the students who were in Slytherin had parents with ties to Voldemort. She went through a list in her head, trying to remember all of the other students that Severus had mentioned to her.

Daphne and Blaise went back to their conversation and she tried her best to stick to her made-up life story.

She gave them generic answers about her parents. She told them that her mother had stayed home and loved to paint and that her father was a healer who loved potion making and while those things were true, she made sure to leave out the fact that her mother was a muggle and her father was the brother of Severus Snape and was currently on the run from the Dark Lord.

It was so difficult for her to talk about her parents. She missed them dearly already and wondered if they were doing okay. She wasn't sure when she'd hear from them again as her parents and Severus agreed that direct contact between them would make things far too risky.

After a long walk through the dungeons, they found themselves standing in front of a large mural. Lorelei heard an older boy explain to the first years in front of them what the password was to enter into the common room.

When the door opened she was met by a dark room lit only by a large fireplace. The room was decorated in deep greens and expensive-looking furniture.

Daphne explained to her that Slytherins always had the finest things at Hogwarts as many of the items were donated by wealthy Slytherin alumni.

She felt incredibly out of place standing in the center of such an extravagant room. While her parents had some money, she knew instantly that she wasn't nearly as well off as most of the other students in the Slytherin house.

Her home in France was much more modest than what was to be her new home here at Hogwarts.

Pansy met up with her and Daphne and the two girls showed Lorelei to their shared room. They pointed out her bed. It was a large four-poster bed placed beside a large window. She noticed then that they were underwater. The deep blue glow of the water contrasted greatly against the silver and emerald linen that lined the room.

She began to unpack her trunk as the other girls chatted loudly while doing the same. Some time had passed, it must have only been a few hours or so. The other girls had fallen asleep and Lorelei listened to Pansy snore softly in the bed next to hers.

Lorelei rolled on to her side, picking up and inspecting strands of her hair that laid wildly across her pillowcase. Her heart ached. She was terrified for the new year. She had never been in a school like this before and had never been surrounded by so many witches and wizards. Her parents were somewhere far away and she had no idea if they were safe. She was terrified that someone might be able to see through her façade.

She shut her eyes tightly, willing her mind to still. She had to be strong for her parents. Seconds passed, then minutes, and soon enough her breathing slowed and she had drifted off into a restless sleep.


	6. Mother's Eyes

* * *

Lorelei awoke with a jolt, sending her sitting upright in mere seconds. Her head shot quickly around the room as she waited for her eyes to adjust to her new unfamiliar surroundings in the dim light. It must have been a nightmare, what about? She couldn't remember now.

She rubbed the sleep away from her eyes, attempting to regain control of her ragged breathing. She was the first one up. She got up out of bed slowly making sure to not wake the girls next to her.

She tiptoed quietly towards the washroom, carrying her things close to her chest. It was time to get ready for her first day of classes.

She stopped and stared at her reflection for a few moments in the mirror before picking up her wand and uttering a quick spell to tame her long chestnut curls. Her hair fell smoothly along her back ending just a few inches above her elbows. She studied her reflection timidly. She never really put much thought into the way she looked before, but now she hesitated on what to do next.

She was always told growing up how much she resembled her father, but as she grew older she noticed more and more of her mother's features. She had her father's dark unruly hair, his prominent face structure, and defining brows. But she had a softness to her that could only be attributed to her mother. She had her mother's soft lips and slender nose. She still felt far too thin but she was no longer the lanky little girl she used to be.

The one feature she truly cherished was her eyes. They were identical to Celia's, an ever-changing blue. Sometimes so soft and bright they were nearly translucent, other times they were so dark they resembled a crashing tide. Flecks of sea green and cobalt blue.

She thought of her mother and how her eyes would sparkle as she laughed. Lorelei always knew exactly what her mother was feeling by looking into her eyes. Although her mother was so strong and attempted to hide her emotions from her, her eyes gave away her sadness and her fear, and her anger.

She remembered the way her mother looked at her before she and her father left. She looked so strong, she could've fooled almost anyone, but not Lorelei. Never Lorelei.

She looked away from the mirror trying to steady her breathing and push her parents to the back of her mind. She couldn't think about them right now, it hurt too much.

She changed into her robes quickly, taking one last look at herself in the mirror before leaving.

'Am I pretty, like Pansy? Would people look at me and think I'm beautiful just like Daphne?' She wondered to herself.

She laughed out loud then. What a silly thought. With everything going on, she's decided now is the right time to contemplate how she looks compared to her peers.

She grabbed her bag with her books and her wand and headed towards the common room. She wasn't sure what time it was but she knew it still had to be fairly early. A few other girls were now awake, hazily collecting their belongings and making their way to the washroom to get ready for the day.

Lorelei began her descent down the stairs outside of her bedroom. As she scanned the space below and noticed the back of a familiar blonde haired boy facing the fireplace.

She held her breath and walked quietly hoping to not catch his attention. She had almost gotten to the last step when she tripped on the bottom of her robe and was sent onto her hands and knees at the bottom of the stairs.

"Fucking hell," she mumbled to herself trying to gather her belongings off of the ground. She knew that she was an absolute clumsy mess at times but she really couldn't think of a worse time to lose her balance. These school robes were incredibly different attire than what she was used to wearing back home.

Before she could stand up she noticed a pair of slick black shoes on the ground in front of her. She felt her cheeks burn as she reached out to grab the last book in front of her.

Before her fingers could graze the binding, a large pale hand raised the book swiftly off the ground. She didn't want to look up because she knew who would be there standing there so close to her.

She could feel his heavy gaze on her as she stood slowly. Her hands began to shake slightly at her side. She was never good with confrontation.

"Could you be any more careless?" Draco scoffed, his voice was deep. He spoke pointedly, the way she had heard politicians speak on her radio at home.

She looked up to meet his eyes, they were colder than they were the night of the opening ceremony. His expression was gritted and unwavering. She had never met a man who oozed discontentment in the way he had.

It was shocking and the silence that followed was uncomfortably hollow. She reached out towards the book in his hand and pulled it quickly into her arms. She didn't know what to say. Thank you? What could she thank him for after he so clearly insulted her?

But it was all she could muster, "thank you," it was small and pathetic.

He stood there for a moment, silently sizing her up. He towered over her, his broad yet slim build engulfed her. She felt as though she was suffocating. Trapped, like a garden mouse corned by a serpent.

He had to have been aware of how uncomfortable his size and close proximity made her. He let out a low huff that almost, quite frankly, resembled a laugh. It was a cold and mocking sound.

She watched his feet as he turned on his heels and made his way back over to the fireplace. He sat stiffly back on to the couch, picking up the book he had been skimming through when she first noticed him.

She didn't waste another second before making her exit out of the common room, she felt so incredibly embarrassed and if her plan was to bring as little attention to herself as possible she was already failing miserably.

She knew one thing was for certain. She couldn't stand him.

She hated Draco Malfoy.


	7. Silent Bond

* * *

Lorelei wandered the halls, trying to find Severus's classroom. She finally made her way there and entered with a sigh of relief as she noticed that he was the only other person in the room.

"Come here child," he called to her. She knew that to the other students at Hogwarts, Snape was a cold man but he would always be her loving and caring uncle. Even if he showed his love in an unconventional way.

He handed Lorelei her schedule and explained what each of her classes was and told her where she could find them.

"Now remember, the classes will be challenging but I have high expectations for you Lorelei." He spoke in his usual drawn-out way. He stood above her, peering down as she sat in front of his desk. He was a strict and stern man, always had been.

Lorelei nodded, "I know uncle, I promised father and mother that I would take advantage of my time here. I won't disappoint you all."

There was a few moments of silence, Lorelei shifted awkwardly in her chair.

"What's troubling you Lorelei?" he asked. She looked up at him trying her best to keep herself together.

"I am scared," she told him truthfully, "I don't want to be a Slytherin and I miss my parents. I want to go home."

He let out a deep sigh, "I know that things are difficult right now but you have to be strong, you're safe here at Hogwarts and your parents are safe as well. Your father is an excellent wizard, he will keep himself and your mother safe. The most important thing for you to worry about now is yourself, study hard in your classes and learn as much as you can here at Hogwarts. Some of the greatest witches and wizards to walk this earth are Slytherins, your father included. Stay vigilant and soon you will be back with your parents."

She only nodded in response. Her uncle's disposition was always odd to her, compared to her father's. But it was one of the things she appreciated most about Severus. He was exact and truthful with the way he spoke.

"Now," Severus began, "make your way to the Great Hall and please eat something I can't have you dying of starvation while you're here, and hurry your first class will start soon."

"Okay." She responded softly.

Lorelei sat up from her chair and made her way towards the door. She looked back at her uncle before leaving the classroom, she gave him a small smile, he only nodded in response.

She found her way to the Great Hall. Students lined the benches in front of the tables. Some students were chatting amongst themselves while others looked tediously over their new schedules.

She scanned the room, searching desperately for a familiar face. She noticed Ginny first. Her fiery hair was pinned up loosely on top of her head.

Lorelei let out a sigh of relief, her stomach grumbled loudly. She realized then that she hadn't had anything to eat since the night she left her parents. It had only been about two days now but it already felt like a lifetime ago.

She made her way over to the Gryffindor table, stopping behind Ginny when she noticed a few questioning looks from the other students sitting at the table.

"Oh- Hi Ginny, I wasn't sure if you'd mind if I sat here, with you."

Ginny turned around sharply, a look of surprise on her face, "Yes- right, of course- it's no,"

"She can't sit with us! Are you bloody mad? Slytherins never sit at our table!" Ginny was quickly interrupted by a stout looking boy with a heavy Irish accent.

"Oh hush Seamus, if we decide to segregate our dining table we're no better than they are," she said motioning to the Slytherin table behind her.

Lorelei could feel her cheeks burn hot and she looked quickly towards the ground, "Oh I'm sorry, I didn't even realize. I don't have to sit here it's fine- truly."

"Nonsense, here sit next to me. It's no problem at all really." Ginny looked up, meeting her eyes. They were warm and genuine, just as they were at the train station.

Lorelei took the seat to Ginnys right and placed her book bag on the bench next to her. She looked around to see more than just a few Gryffindor students shoot her a quizzical glance.

"Don't mind them. They're just a bit taken aback is all. You're probably one of the only Slytherins to even ask to sit here." Ginny said.

"I didn't realize, I'm sorry again. Thank you for offering me a seat." She gave Ginny a small smile and began to sort through the items of food in front of her.

"So, how was your first night in Hogwarts? Get much sleep?" Ginny asked.

"I slept okay, and everything's been fine. Although I did have a little fall on the stairs this morning. I'm alright though, I think my egos more banged up than my body is." Lorelei said truthfully.

Ginny let out a loud laugh and the tension Lorelei felt began to slowly recede.

"Well, I'm very sorry to hear that. I'll make a special wish for you to stay on your two feet for the rest of the day."

Lorelei let out a small laugh then as well, "How about you? Do you think you're prepared for the new school year?"

Ginny got quiet, resorting to pushing a lone sausage around her plate with the end of her fork.

"I'm not so sure to be completely honest, I'd like to think so but with everything going on you know," she began to trail off.

'With everything going on,' Lorelei repeated to herself mentally. Of course. She wasn't the only one facing real issues at the moment. The Dark Lord had returned, and everyone knew. The news of this was bound to affect every student here.

Lorelei took in a deep breath. She had always dreamed of coming to Hogwarts like her father and uncle but she knew as a little girl the probability of her ever attending was small. It would be too dangerous, her safest option was to stay home and stay hidden. But that wasn't her safest option anymore.

Her safest option was now Hogwarts, under the guise of a false reality. She wished terribly at that moment that things were different. That things could've been any different at all.

Lorelei reached over and squeezed Ginny's hand tightly.

"I know." She said softly.

The two girls locked eyes for a brief moment. While neither of them could truly comprehend the other pain, at that moment they both understood. It was a silent bond.

A war was coming, and it affected them both. It affected them all.


	8. Careless

* * *

The school day passed by slowly. Alchemy was her first class of the day, then Magical Theory, and Advanced Herbology. Lorelei tried her best to keep up with notes, she was familiar with most of the material already.

It was finally time for her last class of the day, Potions. She was incredibly disappointed that she wasn't able to be in Severus's class but her uncle assured her that Professor Slughorn would be an adequate replacement.

Lorelei was the last student to walk into the classroom. She had to admit, this castle was incredibly challenging to navigate. She snuck in towards the back and took a seat next to Pansy. Luckily no one really seemed to notice her late entrance.

She took some time to search through the other students in the room. Harry and Ron sat at a desk near the middle of the room, Hermoine was sat just beside them. Just behind her, she could feel a piercing gaze. She turned her head to the side slowly, hoping to catch a glance at the pair of eyes focused intently on her back.

From her peripheral's she caught sight of a familiar blonde headed mop of hair and a flash of poignant silver. She snapped her head back around quickly, feeling her cheeks flush.

How could she have not noticed him there when she first sat down?

"Could you be any less careless?" His voice echoed in her ears.

She sucked in her cheek, biting on it roughly. 'Just pretend he wasn't there,' she thought to herself. This was the only class she had with him. She could just ignore him.

"There's gonna be a huge party in a couple of weeks. You have to come." Pansy whispered beside her, interrupting her train of thought.

"A party?" Lorelei whispered back. She hadn't been to very many parties before. I mean she did have a few friends back home, but she rarely went out. Her parents didn't let her out of their sight very often.

"Yes a party, Slytherins always throw a huge party after the first month of classes. Everyone will be there."

"Oh- I, I'm not sure. I'm not much of a party goer." Lorelei replied looking down at her clasped hands while shaking her head.

"Come on, don't be such a prude. It'll be fun, I promise." Pansy shot her a devious smile, nudging her with her elbow. "You won't regret it."

She thought for a moment, what could be the harm in it? Maybe she's right, it could be a good distraction. She looked up slowly meeting Pansy's eyes, "I'll be there."

"Oh great! I'm telling you, you've never been to a party like this before. You have to let me know what you decide to wear. It's more formal and I have a few options but it's just so hard to decide..."

Lorelei tried her best to follow along with the conversation, but she couldn't shake the feeling of being intently watched.

What could he possibly be looking at? Was there something wrong with her hair? Did he want her to turn around? She felt her fingers start to twitch nervously in front of her.

"So you'll let me know right?" Pansy's repeated question snapped her attention back in focus.

"Oh right, of course. I'll let you know once I've figured it out." She gave Pansy a weak smile and nodded her head.

It was Professor Slughorn who grabbed her attention next, "Whichever student can successfully brew a potion of draught of living death will win this small vial of Felix Felicis, otherwise known as liquid luck. You have one hour to complete your potion beginning now."

The other students around her sat up quickly, beginning to flip through their textbooks and setting up their ingredients.

Draught of living death, she had made this potion with her father once before. She began reading through the pages of her textbook, her father's words played themselves over in her head.

"Now remember, crush don't cut." She started on her potion, working diligently. It had been quite a long time since she had made this specific potion but she tried her best to remember all of the small details.

The world had slowed around her. This was what made her happy. She was in her element now, working on something she was so passionate about. It was as if she was at home, her father standing next to her guiding her along.

She had just completed the last step, she watched eagerly, patiently waiting for the potion to turn into its intended gurgling state. The potion transformed into a rich obsidian shade and began to bubble.

Her eyes went wide with excitement and her hand shot up quickly, "Professor, I think I've got-"

"It's finished!" Her sentence was cut short by Harry.

"Well then, it appears we have a tie. If- of course, you've both managed to somehow make the potion correctly. I will be the judge of this." Slughorn stood from his desk.

Lorelei watched as he walked in front of Harry's cauldron, dropping a small leaf inside of it then watching it disintegrate in the dark liquid.

"Amazing," He said in a quiet voice. "Congratulations Harry, you've done it. Quite incredibly may I add."

Harry's face lit up brightly as Ron slung his arm around his shoulder.

All eyes were now on her. The classroom became anxiously silent as Slughorn made his way towards her.

He repeated his actions, dropping a single leaf into her cauldron. Lorelei inhaled sharply waiting for it to dissolve. The potion began to bubble wildly and within a matter of seconds, the leaf had disappeared within the liquid.

"That's incredible," Slughorn began, "tell me, what was your name dear girl?"

A wave of relief ran over her, "It's Lorelei, Lorelei Dubre."

Professor Slughorn grabbed her shoulder tightly and gave her a shake.

"I've only ever seen one other student complete this potion to my standard, but after today I can now add two more names to that list. I see it's only fair that you both receive a portion of the Felix Felicis. Congratulations to you both."

Lorelei now had a chance to look around the room at the disastrous attempts at the potion around her. Slughorn walked to the front of the classroom and began to pour half of the Felix Felicis into another small vial. Some students stared at her and Harry in curious disbelief while others carried a face of discontentment.

Either way, she let herself smile. She couldn't wait to tell her father about this.


	9. Little Black Dress

* * *

The next few weeks went by rather uneventfully. Lorelei was becoming more comfortable with the school grounds and her professors.

She spent most of her nights in the library, face buried deep in assignments. But she didn't mind, it was something to keep her mind busy.

She had gotten closer to Ginny as well, the two would walk the grounds together in the evenings and chat over meals.

At night she would stay up late, listening to Pansy and Daphne gossip about the 'appalling and embarrassing' state of the school. The subject of their gossip changed almost every night.

On Tuesday this past week, they poked fun at a younger Hufflepuff girl who had fainted in the Great Hall that morning. The next night they had gone through a list of Ravenclaws debating on who they thought were still stuck in their awkward phase and who they thought would never grow out of it.

Lorelei wondered how the two girls ever had time to think about what was going on in their own lives, with all of the attention they seemed to pay to the people around them.

They also spent a portion of their time talking about the male students of Hogwarts. Adrian Pucey had apparently grown nearly 15cm over the summer and was looking more fit than ever. A couple of younger Slytherin girls had already professed their deep affection towards Theo. And Draco- well, Draco he's-

"He's being a right arse." Pansy sighed heavily, falling back onto her bed.

"He's always an arse," Daphne said sarcastically beside her.

"No this is different- I mean I can barely get him to speak to me anymore let alone touch me. There's something going on with him Daph, I've never seen him so tense and angry. The smallest things just seem to set him off nowadays." Pansy sat up on her elbows.

At the mention of Draco's name, Lorelei looked up from her reading. She hadn't spoken to him since that first day on the stairs. But everyday Potions class had become the same. His gaze was always there, just behind her. It made her conscious of her every single movement. She could feel his eyes pouring into her as she moved even the slightest amount. Always there, always watching.

Did he know something about her? If he had something to say to her why hadn't he spoken up yet?

She didn't know what she had done to have captured his attention in this way. She was scared of him truthfully. Maybe he could tell she was lying about who she was from the start, where she really came from. Maybe he was just waiting for the right moment to confront her, to expose her in some way that would harm her.

The idea of it made her skin crawl.

"I'm hoping he'll loosen up a bit at the party tomorrow night, I'm not sure how much longer I'll be able to handle his moodiness," Pansy added before looking over to Lorelei.

"So, have you figured out what you're wearing yet? I think I've finally found the perfect dress for myself." She held up a short black slip dress with an open back and plunging neckline.

Lorelei's mouth fell open slightly. The dress was gorgeous, but she hadn't brought any clothing with her to school that could compare.

Lorelei silently scolded herself, in all honesty, she had completely forgotten about the party after Pansy had mentioned it to her the first time. The last thing on her mind was party attire.

She felt her cheeks blush as she looked up at the two girls in front of her, "I'm not sure to be completely honest, I don't think I brought anything with me to wear out to a party. It's okay though, I don't really think I want to-"

Daphne interrupted her sentence, "Nonsense, you're going with us." She knelt down and began rummaging through one of her trunks.

"Ah, here it is," she stood up slowly unveiling a small silver dress embedded with what had to be thousands of small reflecting gemstones that glowed brilliantly, even in the dim candlelight of the room.

"This should be about your size, you're more than welcome to borrow it for the evening. I think the color would look really nice on you." Daphne walked the dress over to Lorelei and placed it neatly on the bed beside her.

"I- I really appreciate this, but I can't accept. This is too kind of an offer." Lorelei picked up the dress and inspected the material in awe. The front of the dress was cut extremely low, the bottom hem would fall well above her mid-thigh. It would certainly leave little to the imagination. She blushed, suddenly feeling self-conscious at the thought of her wearing it.

"It's no problem at all really. My mother buys me so many gowns, I have more clothing in my closet now than I could wear in a lifetime. Trust me, I wouldn't offer it if it was an inconvenience. I know I have a pair of heels that match the dress as well, I just have to search around for them."

Lorelei looked up at Daphne who gave her a small smile in response.

"Okay, thank you, Daphne. Really, thank you."

"You're welcome, Lo."

Lorelei stayed up late that night, trying to calm her nerves. 'It will be fun, there's no harm in a bit of fun. Stop stressing yourself to death.' She repeated over to herself.

Within a few more hours she had fallen into a deep, dreamless sleep.

The next day dragged on quite slowly. She sat with Ginny at lunch as she usually did, tearing apart a slice of toast. Ginny was rambling on about Harry as she found herself doing often these days and Lorelei tried her best to stay present in the conversation.

"Hello- Earth to Lorelei!" Ginny shouted while waving her pale freckled fingers in front of Lorelei's face.

"Oh, I'm so sorry Ginny. I guess my mind has just been somewhere else today."

"And where has that mind of yours run off to?" Ginny said giving her a quizzical look.

Lorelei took a moment, trying to find the right words, "Ginny, how would feel about accompanying me to a party tonight? That is if you don't already have plans for this evening."

"Ohh a party? I love a good party, but if you're inviting me to the Slytherin house party this evening I'll have to stop you there. While I'd love to spend my Friday night with a bunch of stuck up, pretentious fucks I'm afraid I wouldn't even be let in through the door." Ginny said with a light-hearted laugh.

"No offense of course, if the rest of your house acted as you do I'd say yes in a heartbeat," Ginny added quickly noticing Lorelei's grimaced expression.

"Right, I understand," Lorelei responded, forcing a small laugh. Ginny was right.

"Don't worry about it, you'll have to come to one of Gryffindors parties. I know you'd have a fantastic time." Ginny said with a sincere expression.

"I'll take you up on that one day. I promise." The two girls sat in silence for a moment, picking through their food.

Ginny then put her fork down next to her plate and looked behind Lorelei. She met Lorelei's eyes quickly and shifted towards her so that the two were now close enough to whisper and be heard within the sea of students.

"I don't know what you've done but Malfoy's been staring over at us this entire time," Ginny spoke quietly.

Lorelei choked on the tea she had been sipping. Her eyes went wide as they met Ginnys again.

"You've noticed it too?" Lorelei whispered back. Ginny only nodded in response.

"I've only said about two words to him since I arrived at this school. Every time we're in the same room, I swear I can feel him watching me. I can't figure out if I've offended him in some way. He looks at me like he knows something that I don't. I thought I was going crazy, that I was just imagining it." Lorelei expressed with a sigh.

She wasn't sure if she was relieved that Ginny had noticed it as well, or if it would've been better if she really had been just making it all up in her head.

"Hmm, that's definitely strange," Ginny said, looking behind Lorelei's shoulder once again.

"It is," Lorelei agreed. "I'm not sure what to do, I don't know what I'd even say if I confronted him about-" Ginny grabbed her hand quickly then.

"Don't- Lorelei. Stay away from him. He's dangerous, he's cruel and he's awful. And if you're smart you'll just ignore him. No matter his reasoning, I'm sure he either just wants to fuck with you or he wants to fuck you. Either way-"

Lorelei felt her cheeks burn hot, "Right Ginny, I want nothing to do with him. I promise I'm sure if I just ignore him he'll lose interest in whatever game he's playing."

Ginny gave her a suspicious look.

"I promise Ginny." Lorelei gave her best affirmative nod.

"Okay, okay. If he doesn't leave you alone, tell me will you please?"

"I will."

"If he so much as harms a hair on your head I'll have him hexed to no end you hear me?"

Lorelei let out a laugh then, "I hear you! Thank you, Ginny, you don't need to worry about me. I'll hex him myself if I really have to."

Ginny laughed as well, placing her arm around her friend's shoulder, "Good, you better."

The girls finished their lunch and began their separate walks to their next class.


	10. Slytherin Pride

* * *

It was her last class of the day, potions. Lorelei took her usual seat near the back of the room. She was one of the first students in the classroom. She sighed in relief as she noticed that none of the other Slytherin students had shown up yet.

She placed her bag on the floor beside her seat and began to dig through the contents, searching for the day's work. She had just found her assignment when she heard the chair beside creak loudly under the weight of the person who had just thrown themselves down beside her.

Her body froze in response, that couldn't have been Pansy. If it wasn't Pansy- Lorelei sat up slowly glancing to her left.

Her heart sank into her chest.

Draco.

She tried desperately to steady her breathing, hoping he wouldn't notice how quickly his presence affected her.

"He either just wants to fuck with you, or he wants to -" Ginny's words from earlier began to replay themselves in her head.

She felt herself pale and her hands started to tremble involuntarily as she placed her assignment on the table in front of her. 'He's looking for a reaction, just ignore him.' She pled silently with herself.

Lorelei's head snapped to the right as she heard the familiar clack of Pansy's heels. 'Thank Merlin!' She had never been so grateful to see Pansy's face.

Pansy stopped at the desk with an expression of shock, "Draco, what exactly do you think you're doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing Parkinson? I'm sitting down waiting for this stupid fucking class to start." Draco replied in his usual cold, bored tone.

"Yes, but that is my seat." Pansy hissed, now glaring at Draco in such a piercing and frigid way it made Lorelei shiver in response. Draco on the other hand seemed to be completely unbothered, he almost looked to be amused by the situation.

Lorelei glanced nervously between the two knowing now was the moment to crawl her way out, "Pansy you can have my seat, I promise it's no problem-" As she began to reach forward to grab her things she felt a tight pressure around her thigh.

The sudden cold grip caused her to jump in her seat which only caused him to grab her harder in response. She whimpered at his painful touch.

"No, you're not going anywhere," Draco interjected harshly.

"But-" Pansy began.

"Oh for fucks sake! For once in your life, Parkinson shut the fuck up and leave me alone."

Pansy stood stunned, Lorelei looked up to meet her eyes for a moment and they glistened. Slick with the incoming of wet tears.

Pansy took a slow breath before stepping towards the table and leaning in close enough that only Draco and Lorelei could hear her next words.

"Fuck. You. Malfoy." She spat venom in her words. Spoken like a true Slytherin, forever filled with pride. She turned quickly on her heels and stormed out of the classroom.

Lorelei looked down at her lap, her mind racing so quickly she couldn't pull a single thought from her mind to focus on for more than a second. Draco's hand was still wrapped tightly around her upper thigh.

She had studied his hands in her memory quite a few times before, but they looked impossibly different in that moment. His forearm flexed under the pressure and the veins that scattered across the back of his hand pulsed wildly. His long fingers wrapped themselves diligently around her, winding around the circumference of her skin.

"You- you're hurting me." Lorelei managed to gasp in response.

Draco let go quickly, his hand retreating back into his own lap.

"Shit- I didn't mean-" Lorelei glanced up at him, his expression still guarded and cold as usual. But Lorelei could have sworn it looked as though he was trying to conceal a grimace caused by some physical discomfort.

"Now class, I assume that everyone has completed the reading for today's lesson." Slughorn's voice echoed throughout the classroom causing both Lorelei and Draco to shift their attention towards the old professor.

Lorelei sat, trying desperately to focus on the words coming from Slughorn's mouth but her own thoughts began to drown out the surrounding noise around her. The look on Pansy's face before she left was etched into the forefront of her brain. The look of sadness and betrayal. The look of defeat.

How could he be so careless with his words? So cruel. Completely unwavering in the face of pain that he had caused.

"I need to speak with you," Draco whispered purposely beside her.

Lorelei's ears rang loudly as her attention was brought back to the man sitting beside her.

"I have nothing to say to you." She pronounced quietly, refusing to meet his gaze.

This was it. He knew he had to know something. He was going to confront her about her lies here, in the middle of class. She had already failed in such a short amount of time. She waited, dreading his response.

"How do you know the Weasley girl? I see you with her every day, how long have you known her?" He asked in the same tone as before.

Lorelei let out a shocked laugh, quickly slapping her hand over her mouth as a few students sitting beside her shot her a suspicious glance.

That had to have been the last thing she was expecting him to say. Here she believed that he was mere moments away from damning her when in actuality he truly was just interested in her friendships. For what reason? All of this time she had been so petrified and this was what he had to talk to her about? This is why he had been watching her?

"Ginny? Are you serious?" Lorelei asked.

"Completely. Now answer my questions."

"Not that it's any of your business at all, but Ginny is my friend. I met her at the station on my first day here."

Draco was quiet for a moment before responding, "You'd do best to stay away from her. You'd do best to stay away from all of the Gryffindors you seem to be so fond of. It's embarrassing for a Slytherin to fraternize with those blood traitors and filthy fucking mudbloods. It's disgusting honestly, to see you around them."

She sat in stunned silence. Mudblood, she repeated to herself. She knew what that word meant, the weight that the word carried. Filthy fucking mudbloods, she repeated silently again. An image of her mother and father shot quickly through her mind. That's what her parents had created, a mudblood.

She took a deep breath, the nervousness and trepidation had now molded into something new. Something entirely foreign to her and it scolded her like a white-hot branding iron. It was rage.

She turned to look at him now, meeting his eyes with her own. Now impossibly cold, she watched as his expression transformed just for a moment. If she hadn't been staring at him now so intently, she wouldn't have caught it.

"Who do you think you are? To tell me what to do? You may hold some sort of power over the other students at this school but to me you are nothing. No one."

Her own words caught her by surprise, she had never spoken so coldly before in her life but the feeling she felt as she watched his mask harden against her words filled her with a sense of power that torched brightly in her chest.

"I do not need a person like you to tell me who I'm allowed to keep as company."

She was unable to decipher the thoughts that played and projected across Draco's face. His eyes grew impossibly dark, they flashed wildly like lightning across a violet sky just as dusk rolled along a valley.

"Miss Dubre- is there a problem?" Slughorn called out to her, the classroom fell silent as everyone turned to face the pair.

Without looking away from Draco's face, Lorelei answered plainly. "There's no problem Professor. I'm just not feeling too well is all, if you'll please excuse me."

Lorelei picked her bag off of the floor and stood up quickly, using the last of her strength to walk proudly out of the room the way that Pansy had just moments before.

As soon as she knew she was out of earshot of the classroom she began to run, faster than she had ever run before. Hoping and praying that no one had followed her out of the room.

Once she had made it back to the safety of her bedroom she pulled the curtains tightly around her four-poster bed and cast a silencing charm around her.

The adrenaline had long since left her body and she felt impossibly hollow. A loud cry escaped from her lips. Followed by another and another.

She missed her mother, she missed her father, she missed her home. She felt utterly and entirely alone. She hated Hogwarts, she hated being a Slytherin. She hated Draco Malfoy. To him, to all of them, if they ever knew the truth about her, how differently would they treat her? A mudblood. That's who she was, and that's how she'd always be seen.

She sat up, slamming her fists harshly against her headboard. Over and over again, until her knuckles felt slick with blood.

She collapsed, completely exhausted. Her bed seemed to swallow her whole. Her eyelids so heavy, it became impossible to hold them open. Within a matter of moments, Lorelei had fallen deeply asleep.


	11. Liquid Luck

* * *

Had it been only a few minutes? A few hours? She wasn't entirely sure.

"Lorelei... Lo, wake up! You're going to miss the party! Get up you have to get ready."

Her eyes opened slowly adjusting to the dim light of the room. Daphne's blonde hair hung wildly in front of her face.

"Time.. what time is it?" Lorelei sat up quickly pushing her own hair behind her ears.

Daphne leaned back crossing her arms in front of her chest. "It's half-past ten. I've been looking everywhere for you! Now get up, the dress and heels are on your bed. I'll see you down in the common room, the party's already started." Daphne shot her an urging look before turning on her heels and pacing out of the room.

Lorelei noticed as she swayed and caught the wall as she closed the door behind her. She must already be inebriated, Lorelei could still smell the familiar burn of fire whiskey from Daphne's breath as she spoke down to her just a few moments ago.

She swung her legs over the bed wincing at a sharp pain in her hands. She looked down and noticed small cuts on the surface of her knuckles and sighed deeply.

She could hear the music harshly pound below her. The last thing she wanted to do right now was walk down those stairs and face her housemates after the day she had. She had to go though, she knew it'd be suspicious to lay in bed all night while everyone else was up.

She made her way to the washroom, the contrast in light caused her to wince. She stared at herself for a few moments. Her eyes were red and puffy, her lips were swollen and dark. Her skin was impossibly pale. She looked as though she hadn't taken care of herself in ages.

She huffed pulling her wand from her sweater. She started the warm water of the shower behind her and undressed slowly making sure to neatly place her clothing in a folded pile.

She took her time, lathering the soap against her fragile frame. Letting the water run through her mop of curls. She hoped truly that if she took enough time getting ready, she'd be able to make an appearance once everyone was already past the point of sobriety so her interactions could be limited without much of a second thought from the others.

She stepped out of the shower and began her routine to get ready just as she would have on a night out with friends back home. She cast glamour charm after glamour charm trying to find the right hairstyle or makeup application that would bring that spark she remembered so dearly back into her eyes.

Nothing quite fell into place like she had wanted, no moment of satisfaction or comfortable familiarity with her appearance. She looked- so different; taller, slimmer, tired, older. Could she have really changed so much in such a short amount of time?

She slid the borrowed dress on over her shoulder and felt as it fell smoothly along her body. Grasping at the soft curves of her figure. The dress seemed impossibly shorter now that it was on but it covered the areas that needed to be covered- sort of.

Lorelei pulled the heels on next. She grabbed onto the ledge of the counter to steady herself as she stood. She took a few steps around the room to make sure she would be able to really keep her balance.

She took a few extra steps back to put her full appearance in view of the mirror before her. She unconsciously began to run the pads of her fingers along the skin of her arms and up towards her chest.

A beautiful stranger mimicked her movements in the glass panel before her.

A loud knock on the washroom door stole her from her trance.

"Lorelei! Are you in there? Are you ready now? People are beginning to ask where you are!" She recognized Daphne's slurred speech immediately.

Another voice chimed in then, "Can we hurry this up? I'd like to get back down to the party before Blaise finishes all of our coke."

Lorelei froze, it was Pansy's voice behind the door. She had almost forgotten that she had been there as well earlier today, an image of Pansy's watering eyes flashed across her mind.

"Yes- yes I'm ready, I'm coming out now." Lorelei knelt down, gathering her things in her arms. She noticed the flicker of vial flash brightly at the bottom of her bag. Her mind raced at the thought, it was the small potion of liquid luck she had earned at the beginning of the month.

She fished it out of its place quickly and stared at it for just a moment, contemplating. If there was ever a time where she would need the extra luck she assumed it would be now. There wasn't much in the vial, the effects would most likely only last for a short amount of time.

At the sound of Daphne's impatient groan, Lorelei uncorked the bottle and downed the contents within mere seconds. The potion was warm against her throat and tasted incredibly sweet.

She stuffed the empty bottle back into her bag and walked swiftly towards the door, opening it to greet the two girls on the other side.

The air felt cooler on the other side of the door. A steady wave of confidence spread across the underlying surface of her skin. The effects of the position seemed to take hold almost immediately. The two girls stared at Lorelei, disbelief clearly plastered across their expressions.

"Wow... You look-" Pansy began.  
"Fucking incredible!" Daphne finished her sentence.

"Who would've known all of this was hiding under those baggy robes and that wild mess of hair you have!" Daphne beamed.

Lorelei rolled her eyes dismissing the comment, she knew Daphne meant well.

"Well, are you ready to head down to the party?" Daphne asked, swaying gently from foot to foot.

"Yes, let me just place my things back in my wardrobe. Why don't you head down Daph, me and Pansy will meet you there." She wasn't quite sure what prompted the suggestion, but she had an undeniable feeling that she had to say something to Pansy. Maybe she could apologize, on Draco's behalf.

Daphne wavered a wide grin and made her way out of the room and down towards the common room, the lights from below lit up the dim room. Raving lights flashed against the posted beds that lined the walls. Lorelei's skin tingled with the vibration of voices that rose to meet her.

She looked over at Pansy who was walking beside her towards her wardrobe. Lorelei placed her things neatly along the shelves and latched the wardrobe door closed behind her.

She turned on her heels to meet Pansy's questioning gaze.

Lorelei swallowed sharply, the words began to form before she could give them a second thought.

"I'm sorry Pansy. About what happened in potions class today. I just wanted to ask how you were doing-"

Pansy crossed her arms then, her eyes grew incredibly clear and serious. Lorelei stuttered over her words now, unsure if bringing the whole thing up was the right idea. Maybe she had offended her in some way.

Before she got the chance to begin an apology, Pansy wrapped her arms tightly around Lorelei's shoulders, embracing her tightly.

Lorelei stood stunned. The once loud drumming of music and excited voices was now distant and dull. Pansy's cool breath felt familiar and comforting.

Pansy pulled away but kept her fingers wrapped gently around Lorelei's shoulders.

"I'm fine. I'm used to the way he treats me." She dropped her arms then, crossing them over her chest once again.

"He's never been the kindest person I'll admit. I blame his father for that though. But- I don't know. He's changed so much over this past summer. And now that school has started again... He's really different. He's- well it's not important I suppose. All that matters is that it's over between him and me." Pansy's sighed deeply, her eyes flickered towards the ceiling for just a moment.

"We broke things off this morning. For good this time. I'm over the whole thing truly, I'm guessing the entire thing that happened today was just his final 'fuck you' to me. I'm sorry he got you involved though. Did he happen to say anything to you?"

Lorelei thought for a moment but opted out of mentioning the conversation she had with Malfoy during class.

"No, not really." She answered.

"Well, good. That's good. You should really do your best to stay away from him. That man is a nightmare."

"Right, okay," Lorelei answered softly, of course, she knew this already.

"Come on then, there's enough alcohol downstairs to intoxicate the entire student body. And the last thing I want to think about now is bloody brooding Malfoy. Theo's had his eyes on me for the past year, I think I'm gonna finally shag him tonight." Pansy flashed a wicked smile, her eyes reflected the sinful nature of her thoughts. She linked her arm through Lorelei's and pulled them both along towards the stairs.

Lorelei's heart began to beat wildly in anticipation. Her thoughts should be on the party below but a phantom touch began to ensnare her senses. A familiar pressure enveloped her upper thigh.

She closed her eyes tightly, blindly following beside Pansy trying her best to ignore the unwelcome image of a crashing, thundering sea of blue that now clouded her vision.

For a man she knew she had to dutifully evade, he seemed to always find a way to push through the cracks in her defenses. She couldn't stand it. She loathed him. A foreign burning that crept across the plane of her stomach begged her to consider otherwise. It was irrational, humiliatingly wrong.

Lorelei took a moment to steady herself. She felt betrayed by her own thoughts, her own body. She couldn't quite place the feelings Malfoy evoked within her, but she knew she had to bury them. He was the complete antithesis to her, to everything she fought for. She'd dig a grave six feet under her own conscious to conceal the thoughts she had of him.

She would not let him find a place in her thoughts any longer. Like she had stated only hours earlier, he was nothing to her- no one. She promised she would repeat that to herself until she truly believed that.

Pansy squeezed Lorelei's arm gently, unknowingly coaxing her from thoughts. Lorelei opened her eyes, realizing now that they were about halfway down the stairs leading to the common room.

Students danced below them, bodies curved and whined to meet one another. Numerous Slytherins carried drinks in their hands while a few held their noses to a silver platter that was being passed around in a circle. The music was loud and overwhelming. But the vibration of the environment caused Lorelei's head to roll back in anticipation.

She noticed a few students had their eyes now fixated on the two girls. Some of the boys stood with their mouths agape, while the girls turned their heads- dissatisfaction growing vapidly across their faces. The attention was unfamiliar but not completely unwelcome. At that moment she felt almost powerful, almost perfect.

"Are you ready for this?" Pansy's voice spoke softly into her ear.

Lorelei took one more shallow breath before letting a smirk of her own embellish her lips. Relishing in the confidence the liquid luck carried through her rising pulse.

"Of course. Let's find something to drink."


End file.
